Among the women, Yelim Kim is in first place, while Kaori Sakamoto and Rion Sumiyoshi are second and third, respectively, after the NHK Trophy short program.
Sota Yamamoto collects silver, Kazuki Tomono with bronze for the men, and senior GP debutante Rion Sumiyoshi hauls in bronze at the Grand Prix de France.
The 22-year-old Yamamoto landed three clean quadruple jumps and five triples en route to victory in Japan’s biggest summer competition.
In Estonia, the Americans captured gold medals in men’s and women’s singles as well as ice dance.
Levito skated to “The Swan” and exhibited an impressive flow throughout her program.
The 18-year-old, who placed second at the Beijing Olympics, is the favorite to win the world title this week.
Daisuke Takahashi and Mao Asada were the first two skaters to sweep both singles titles for Japan, doing so at the 2010 world championships.
Miura edges Tatsuya Tsuboi for the men’s title, while Mao Shimada outscores Rion Sumiyoshi to earn the women’s top prize.
Tsuboi built a lead of more than 12 points, while Sumiyoshi held a narrow advantage in points over Azusa Tanaka in the women’s event heading into...
Miura and Tatsuya Tsuboi are among the top contenders for the men’s title, while Hana Yoshida and Mao Shimada are expected to vie for the women’s...
